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Hit Them With Your Best Shots
What defines a model most?
Some people might say it's a look, a style, an attitude -- or maybe all three.
Others will point out a person's eyes, hair, cheekbones, toned body, long legs, or other physical features.
Still others might say confidence and charisma really helps a male or female model rise to the top.
Runway models can distinguish themselves by how they carry themselves, while commercial models add expressions of likeability and enthusiasm to their presentation.
All these characteristics are important in establishing and evaluating a model's potential. But no matter how amazing these traits are, in this age of visual gratification it is a model's photos that can really make him or her attract attention and start a successful career.
There is an old saying that, even in today's world of technological advances, still holds true --
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Photographic images capture all the individual aspects of a person and present them in an artistic, inviting, and compelling manner.
Pictures can reveal a personality, tell a story, share a secret, stir the senses, and capture the imagination of the viewer in an instant. That is why it is important to not only get shots of the highest quality, but also to choose shots that show your highest qualities ~ what makes you special, unique, and memorable.
Once you have a fairly wide range of photos from shoots with experienced photographers, the next step is to get them organized. There are several different methods in which you can accomplish this:
1) Digital images can be presented online through personal websites, public forums, and modeling pages such as the ones showcased on OneModelPlace.com or Model Mayhem. They can also be submitted by email or on a disk if a casting call allows digital submissions.
2) Prints are most commonly enlarged, arranged, and displayed in portfolios. They vary in size and design, but all portfolios serve the same purpose: to display your pictures to agents, casting people, and other industry experts.
3) Comp cards feature 4 or 5 different looks and can be sent out through the mail or left with casting offices after an interview.
4) Zed cards are smaller than comp cards and are often folded in the shape of a Z.
5) Headshots are black and white single shots used mainly by actors and actresses, and have a resume of the performer's experience attached to the back.
Talk to the experts and get advice on common questions regarding portfolios and comp cards, including how big, how many, how often, and how much.
In the meantime, keep booking paid shoots, scheduling time-for-print sessions, and working with established photographers so that your portfolio can be filled with amazing, intriguing, diverse images. While you are at it, keep an eye out for work by other models and photographers.
You can start one here on iModel.com, OMP, or other sites searching and browsing through other member pages. The next time you pick up a magazine, really study the ads, fashion layouts, and celebrity portraits to see how the subjects posed and what you can learn from them. Take a second glance at billboards and bus signs that feature models endorsing perfume, soft drinks, clothing, even gym memberships, and try to imagine how you might have fit into that ad campaign. Watch TV shows, commercials, movies, and music videos and notice the variety of styles and attitudes that the performers adapt for each medium. Basically, really look at all the opportunities for modeling and acting jobs that surround you in your everyday life. That way you will be ready to hit them with your best shots when it's your turn.
What defines a model most?
Some people might say it's a look, a style, an attitude -- or maybe all three.
Others will point out a person's eyes, hair, cheekbones, toned body, long legs, or other physical features.
Still others might say confidence and charisma really helps a male or female model rise to the top.
Runway models can distinguish themselves by how they carry themselves, while commercial models add expressions of likeability and enthusiasm to their presentation.
All these characteristics are important in establishing and evaluating a model's potential. But no matter how amazing these traits are, in this age of visual gratification it is a model's photos that can really make him or her attract attention and start a successful career.
There is an old saying that, even in today's world of technological advances, still holds true --
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Photographic images capture all the individual aspects of a person and present them in an artistic, inviting, and compelling manner.
Pictures can reveal a personality, tell a story, share a secret, stir the senses, and capture the imagination of the viewer in an instant. That is why it is important to not only get shots of the highest quality, but also to choose shots that show your highest qualities ~ what makes you special, unique, and memorable.
Once you have a fairly wide range of photos from shoots with experienced photographers, the next step is to get them organized. There are several different methods in which you can accomplish this:
1) Digital images can be presented online through personal websites, public forums, and modeling pages such as the ones showcased on OneModelPlace.com or Model Mayhem. They can also be submitted by email or on a disk if a casting call allows digital submissions.
2) Prints are most commonly enlarged, arranged, and displayed in portfolios. They vary in size and design, but all portfolios serve the same purpose: to display your pictures to agents, casting people, and other industry experts.
3) Comp cards feature 4 or 5 different looks and can be sent out through the mail or left with casting offices after an interview.
4) Zed cards are smaller than comp cards and are often folded in the shape of a Z.
5) Headshots are black and white single shots used mainly by actors and actresses, and have a resume of the performer's experience attached to the back.
Talk to the experts and get advice on common questions regarding portfolios and comp cards, including how big, how many, how often, and how much.
In the meantime, keep booking paid shoots, scheduling time-for-print sessions, and working with established photographers so that your portfolio can be filled with amazing, intriguing, diverse images. While you are at it, keep an eye out for work by other models and photographers.
You can start one here on iModel.com, OMP, or other sites searching and browsing through other member pages. The next time you pick up a magazine, really study the ads, fashion layouts, and celebrity portraits to see how the subjects posed and what you can learn from them. Take a second glance at billboards and bus signs that feature models endorsing perfume, soft drinks, clothing, even gym memberships, and try to imagine how you might have fit into that ad campaign. Watch TV shows, commercials, movies, and music videos and notice the variety of styles and attitudes that the performers adapt for each medium. Basically, really look at all the opportunities for modeling and acting jobs that surround you in your everyday life. That way you will be ready to hit them with your best shots when it's your turn.
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Challenge is a dragon with a gift in its mouth... Tame the dragon and the gift is yours. - Noela Evans
Houston, Texas USA
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA
Willing to travel with expenses paid.
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